


On Pause

by meru



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Complicated Relationships, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 11:22:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13523211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meru/pseuds/meru
Summary: Shiro and Keith have a talk about their relationship.





	On Pause

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GeniusCactus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeniusCactus/gifts).



> Hi, awkward situations and pining Sheith is something I can work with! Hopefully it works for you.

It wasn’t surprising to answer the door and see Shiro. There wasn’t anyone else who even knew of the shack, so who else could it be? The problem was Keith wasn’t sure if he was happy to see him. He wasn’t ready to face the consequences. He couldn’t even bring himself to look Shiro in the face.

“I thought you’d be out here when you weren’t in the gym or the simulator.”

“Yeah, well, I usually come here to be alone.” Filled with instant regret, Keith’s eyes snapped to Shiro’s. He didn’t look hurt that Keith was pushing him away again, at least. Why was he like this?

“Do you want me to leave?” Shiro asked. If he said yes, Shiro would leave and he probably wouldn’t bring it up again. They would never have to talk about this. But nothing would change either.

“No, it’s--“ -- _fine,_ he wanted to say but Keith cut himself off with a heavy exhale. “Why were you looking for me?”

“I was worried about you. You took off so fast.” Shiro leaned back against the railing but when it started to creak under his weight he thought better of it and stepped away.

That was true. Keith didn’t see a need to comment on it. He stepped forward finally joining Shiro on the porch. Even though he didn’t say anything, Shiro still looked pleased.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not now.”

To his credit, Shiro didn’t try to push the subject. He turned his gaze out towards the desert expanse. The sun was starting to set.

It was several long minutes of watching the slowly darkening sky before Shiro spoke again, “I see why you like it out here so much.”

Keith just glanced over.

“It’s quiet.” Shiro finished, unprompted.

Quiet, yes. And still. It was calming. Out here no one would know what he was doing. They wouldn’t even know to come looking way out in the middle of the desert.

He slid closer to Shiro until he could feel the heat radiating from him body. If he wanted to, it would be so easy to lean against him; but that would be pushing the boundaries of their relationship too much. Instead, he settled for letting the sleeve of his jacket lightly brush Shiro’s arm. Shiro let him stay like that until the sun was almost completely hidden by the distant rock formations when Shiro, again, broke the quiet stillness by speaking.

“It’s getting dark. I should go.”

“No. Stay,” Keith caught onto Shiro’s arm as he started move away from the railing. Shiro didn’t attempt to pull away from Keith. “I want to talk.”

This is what he came here for, so Keith shouldn’t feel the need to hold possessively onto Shiro’s arm like he would slip away after all. Still, he didn’t let go until they were seated on the old, lumpy couch inside the shack.

“Should I start?”

A nod.

“Okay,” Shiro took a deep breath to gather his thoughts and decide where to start. “I can’t get involved with a cadet. Romantically.”

“You already said that.”

“It bears repeating. There are strict rules against officer/student fraternization.”

“You’re just making excuses! I told you how I feel, and all you do is recite the code of conduct at me.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“How you feel.”

“I guess that’s only fair.” He looked at Keith, as if searching his face fore something. Keith felt his heart flutter when he smiled, maybe he found whatever he was looking for. “I feel the same.”

Keith’s breath hitched and Shiro continued to talk but Keith didn’t hear him. His feelings were returned after all. All that time spent fretting about how or even if he should tell Shiro his feeling; and even this whole day spent avoiding hearing Shiro’s reply had all been wasted. The sound of Siro’s serious voice suddenly broke off when Keith decided to just go for it and smashed his lips against the side of Shiro’s mouth. It would be hard to call it a kiss; it was mostly teeth and missed the mark.

Shiro froze as Keith pulled away, embarrassed by that failure. Then Shiro’s hand was on his cheek, drawing him back in but instead of a proper kiss, their foreheads bumped together. “I can’t,” Shiro said, his eyes were closed. “Try to understand, I could get in a lot of trouble.”

“I’m not going to tell anyone.” Keith said as if it was that simple.

Shiro moved a hand to Keith’s shoulder and pulled back. “Do you know what you’re asking?”

What was he asking? All his life no one had treated him like a priority. Shiro was his first real friend and here he was asking him to risk his career and entire future on an affair with a cadet. Realizing that maybe he was being too selfish, Keith pulled back. Looking at him now, face flushed, Keith really wanted to ask that. Just once someone could love him more than their self… but it wouldn’t be fair. Shiro was too important.

With a sad nod Keith put more space between them. “I know. It wouldn’t be fair.”

Shiro

“Will you wait for me?” “In two years I’ll graduate then we can do whatever we want.”

“Whatever we want…” Shiro repeated with a half laugh, but once he saw how serious Keith was, he changed his tone. “Alright, I won’t even be on Earth for most of that, but you shouldn’t be waiting around for me.”

“I don’t care, I know what I want.”

As soon as he’d made that declaration, Shiro’s face turned red.

“Keith, come here.” Keith went happily into Shiro’s arms. For now, they could be together, just for tonight they could say they’re in love, tomorrow their relationship will have to be purely platonic.

 


End file.
